Many individuals communicate virtually over networks for business and for personal interaction with other individuals using tools such as chat programs, e-meetings, etc., to interact and collaborate. A problem with virtual communication is that it can be difficult for users to build rapport with each other when not interacting face-to-face. During face-to-face interaction, individuals have various modes of communication (e.g., visual, auditory, kinesthetic, etc.), which help individuals to get to know and understand each other personally. While some these modes of communication are indeed possible in virtual communication, user interaction over networks still tends to lack a “human feel,” especially when many users have never met or interacted in person. In a business context, many employees collaborate remotely, and when they communicate with one another they are typically focused on the task at hand. Consequently users build only limited rapport despite being in constant communication via chat programs, e-meeting software, meeting calls, etc. This is especially true with individuals who telecommute and who have very limited face-to-face interaction with other employees.
One conventional solution to building rapport in a chat system provides an image of the remote user next to the text box. Another conventional solution to building rapport in an e-meeting system provides an image of the meeting attendees. However, a problem with these conventional solutions is that the images are limited in that they only provide what a given user or users look like.